Strangers Don't Judge
by LanaLlama
Summary: She was a martyr, died for something she believed in; the other went out trying to save lives too, but only because hers was at risk. Tucker Innie friendship as they speak about those who they had lost.


**AN: **Welcome to what I hope will be the first of many fics for this year. I have a plan, to improve my writing this year, have a chance to stick to something for as long as I can, and here I am, ready to begin, fresh from the new year. I created a weekly prompt list for myself to work with the RvB fanfiction world and get on with my writing. I have one RvB specific prompt for every week of the year, and wouldn't mind sharing if anyone else wants to take part.

Week 1: Start out simple, a friendly chat between your two favourite characters (They don't have to have met)

* * *

"What happened to her?" The question came out of nowhere, from the darkness, somewhere in Tucker's direction.

"Who?" The current CT responded after a moment, shifting beneath the few sheets he had.

"The chick you're doing all of this for."

"I'm not doing this for a girl Tucker." Lies, the whole statement was a full out lie, and irritation sat deep in his words. He blinked, shut his eyes for a moment, closing himself off from his current, sandy world. Some rustling to the side, a few cautious footsteps, and then colour exploded behind his lids.

"Sure, the rest of you says different." Tucker's voice was nearer now, not behind him, but in front of him, and level. The CT imposter opened his eyes again, looking up to the dark man before him, legs innocently folded beneath himself. He wasn't all that sure what the other man was getting at, or why he was even attempting to talk to him, shouldn't they be hating and throwing abuses at each other? "You loved someone once, didn't you?"

Tucker could be pushy when he wanted to, and in cases such as this, he was never one to back down, because, for once, he could be the bigger person. Just this one time could Tucker take a pause in this chaos he called life, and be equal with someone. CT sat up with a sigh, covers falling from his form and heaping into his legs.

"They got to her first." He hadn't spoken about Connie to anyone yet. "They got there, twisted her mind and hurt her, then killed her." He realized how awful and vague that must have sounded to his current companion and took another shot, not all that sure why he was bothering to share.

"She joined the Freelancers to get us information, do a little digging-"

"I can see what happened." Tucker interrupted "She died trying to get away didn't she?"

"How did yo-?"

"It's a terrible cliche in love stories." Maybe that wasn't quite so true, but Tucker would far rather be seen as someone who knows about cliches than a sap who can read people so damn well. CT wasn't sure what to think. He didn't know why he had bothered to share, nor why he was even talking to this ass hole.

"Why do you care?" He turned slightly aggressive, moving swiftly on from the small moment of awe.

"Dude, whatever happened to her is clearly bugging you." That wasn't the answer he was looking for; Tucker had actually just dodged the question completely, and CT wasn't going to let that go.

"No, really, why do you care about what happened?"

"It's easy to lose yourself when someone leaves you. I don't want to ever see that happen to anyone." His voice was even softer than it originally was, as though the ever perverted, laid-back Tucker gave a damn about someone once upon a time. He shifted slightly in the dark, pulling one bent knee towards himself and stretching the other leg out. "It'll make you feel better to talk about it." He offered, watching the other male intently with the slightly sympathetic eyes.

CT just shook his head before turning to reach behind him and grabbing a lantern which he placed between them and flicked into life. The bulb light up and the warm glow it emitted spread across a wide circle in the temple, washing the walls in a prettier tan colour.

"Look, no offense Tucker, but I hardly know you. Why would I want to tell you my problems?" Tucker appeared put off by this for a mere second before his face split into a small smile.

"It's easier to talk to a stranger because they don't judge."

"That's insightful for an asshole."

"I wasn't always an asshole." He tilted his head, watching the other man's hands as they fiddled with the thin sheets; twisted and turned them between his fingers.

"Enlighten me." Was all CT had to say; he didn't have a clue what those words signed him up for, or why he was bothering to take the risk of getting comfortable with someone else. He shouldn't be doing this, making friends; it would only hurt more, later on when they had to part ways or one of them died. It was dumb to think about, but Tucker was in the "army" and he, well, he was working to bring down a mad man and a group of super soldiers that had killed his love.

She had changed during the project, his Connie, each time they found enough time to speak, she was more distant with him, more scared looking; always appearing closer and closer to a mental break down. Which is why he kept pushing her to get out while she still could. She had everything they needed and more, so he couldn't understand why she wanted to stay longer.

"Would you believe I loved a girl once?" It was rhetorical, sure, but the sort of rhetorical question that needed an answer.

"It's not completely impossible." CT commented. "What happened?" he asked, despite it being pretty obvious in the look on Tucker's face, the way his shoulders sat now; a slump to their shape.

"She died, of course."

"How?"

"...Suicide bomber, Valentine's day." He took his time to respond, but when he did, Tucker bore one of those sad, trying not to seem sad smiles. The sort that everyone had dealt at least once in their life.

"I remember that one." And he did, so vividly because he very nearly got himself and Connie on that flight, but he had been unwell, not able to fly. They had gripped each other with disbelief when they heard of the attack on the news, looked to the other with wild eyes. They could have been in that mess on the ground, nothing more than cold, dead bodies, just like everyone else they saw in that news clip before the camera cut away.

"She was coming home from some sort of business trip, and this asshole was sat, right at in the front, ready to blow them all up." Tucker clearly hadn't told many people about this; he hadn't cried over it like he needed to. CT was far more curious to know why he had picked him of all people to confide in. Strangers don't judge.

There was a lot about the other that neither knew, nor would they ever know, but for the night, just because Tucker was curious, they talked about the women they once loved.

"She was the brave one who tried to stop him; damn near did too. She made him stop and question everything he believed. He still did it."

"Blew up the plane?" CT said, because he couldn't think of anything else to say. He could have said 'Sorry' or perhaps even 'That was good of her' but he knew those words were no good to him; they would be empty.

"Yeah." Tucker breathed out. "That asshole."


End file.
